Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) is widely considered as one of the most invasive and disruptive weeds to ever exist. However, despite the universal acknowledgment that Japanese Knotweed is a major problem to existing and future ecosystems, it still continues to cost businesses excessively, both financially and environmentally.

Japanese Knotweed is spread through transportation, including through fragment dispersion and soil movement, which results in catastrophic costs and destruction to existing vegetation, structures and promotes unnecessary waste, through the disposal of infected soil and valuable topsoil. At Stronga, we produce steaming solutions designed to reliably, efficiently and economically heat treat soils, eradicating Japanese Knotweed from the load. Read on to find out how client’s partnering with Stronga can steam weeds away and return the soil load to its clean, virgin state.

While Japanese Knotweed is a global issue, in the UK, local regulations and ‘Wildlife and Countryside Acts’ aim to prevent further spread and destruction. Japanese Knotweed is commonly defined as ‘controlled waste’; this means it is an essential requirement that soil or infected materials is disposed of properly and does not cause further infestation.

These rules and examples have been highlighted to try and draw attention to the extent of the Japanese Knotweed crisis and the power of its impact to the farming and food industries, worldwide. However, there are more benefits to just simply getting rid of a weed that destroys properties, local wildlife and is responsible for tonnes of soil contaminated waste every year.

Although the farming and horticultural industries will be the major beneficiaries when this weed is better controlled, increasing opportunities for valuable grazing opportunities and developments to land, the environmental benefits outweigh all others. In Europe alone, excavated soils are the biggest source of waste. With this and the global topsoil crisis in mind, we have a collective responsibility to try and reuse the millions of tonnes of soil disposed of each year, especially when it can be very easily and safely decontaminated and reutilised through the employment the Stronga FlowSteama. Steam heat treated material can then be sold into the growing sector for growers to produce healthy grown products in clean, weed-free, sterilised soil.

Recycling plastic and household rubbish is a norm, so why shouldn’t we do the same with soil and environmental waste?

There are several options available to businesses when it comes to the effective eradication of invasive species and weeds:

1. Physical removal - costly, time consuming, complicated and can actually sometimes encourage the spread.
2. Chemical methods - highly hazardous and harmful to the environment and humans and are gradually being phased out. ‘The Royal Horticulture Society’ also states their disapproval of their use. What’s more, the chemical treatment process can take a long period of time to fully work. The removal of Japanese Knotweed can take at least three seasons to remove in its entirety when using chemical weed killer.
3. Biological methods - arguably the most complicated of them all, involving the use of a living organism and often not recommended for widespread infestations.

Stronga has a well proven, highly reliable alternative solution; the FlowSteama is efficient, effective and has the ability to successfully sterilise a broad range of media, using low-pressure, superheated steam. The FlowSteama is a cleaner alternative to the other methods mentioned and takes a fraction of the time.

Stronga’s steam heat treatment systems offer the most efficient, reliable and evidenced solution to successfully remediating organic media in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way. A key benefit of the FlowSteama is that, through its built-in HMI control panel and temperature logging functionality, clients are able to improve the quality and health standards for their produce. Steam sterilised soil can also be sold, reused and recycled for future projects, promoting economic and environmental value.

The graphic below demonstrates how most clients are employing the FlowSteama in-vessel heat treatment system.

Steam heat treatment has been proven as the fastest way to sterilise soil which can then be planted almost immediately after, once cooled. Discover a few of the key benefits of FlowSteama:

● The process of steaming soil has been proven here at Stronga to remove all pathogens, which some of the other solutions listed above do not.
● Steam heat treatment of soil is a more organic and a non-toxic approach for humans and local ecosystems, especially when compared to chemical methods.
● Soil – which is currently being unnecessarily poorly disposed of in its large quantities each year – can be reused by clients as a part of a circular economy.
● Steam treatment of soil is faster and cleaner than the alternative options, reducing your costs and allowing you to do your part for the environment.

● FlowSteama has an extremely well-insulated chassis, thus helping limit expensive energy loss during the heat treatment process.
● An easy-to-use, intuitive HMI touchscreen ensures the temperature can be monitored at all times, at the required temperature for the required duration of time at temperature.
● FlowSteama’s moving floor ensures continuous and consistent steam heating throughout the entire load of contaminated material.
● Through the unique input hopper - outfeed auger arrangement, the FlowSteama enables clients to separate clean and dirty material; dramatically reducing the risk of cross contamination and improving the client’s peace of mind.

At Stronga we understand the pressures and requirements involved in producing high quality, safe to consume produce. We have more than 20 years’ experience producing long life, efficient, well-proven and reliable products which help clients meet their customer’s requirements.

The FlowSteama comes in two range; the mobile “Rova” and stationery “Vessa”, allowing customers to choose the best solution for their requirements. We encourage discussions with our customers so we are able to offer the most individual and personalised products for each different situation – because no two jobs are the same. For more information about Stronga’s range of steam heat treatment solutions, click the “FlowSteama” tab under “Energy Solutions” on stronga.com.

FlowSteama remains the market’s leading solution for the effective and evidenced sterilisation of soil and reliable removal of one of the world’s most stubborn weeds, Japanese Knotweed. Allow yourself to enjoy the financial and environmental benefits of reutilising and selling soil – an invaluable and underappreciated resource, and rest assured the produce grown in it are weed and pest free.

Start profiting from waste soil and begin your soil steaming journey today; contact Stronga - info@stronga.co.uk